Parade around Gloucester to see Christmas lights

This week Gloucester will enjoy its  Christmas switch on events with Twist and Pulse at Gloucester Quays and a 12 days of Christmas parade throughout the city centre.

Twist & Pulse to Switch on Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet Christmas Lights 

Britain’s Got Talent runners up Twist and Pulse will be switching on the Christmas Lights at Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet this Thursday (18^th November 2010).

The duo, who perform streetomedy moves to popular tunes, were hugely popular on last year’s Britain’s Got Talent show.

The light switch on will take place on 18th November 2010 at 7pm at the Designer Outlet Centre.

Gloucester Christmas parade and lights switch on Sunday 21st November at 4.15

Gloucester’s Christmas lights get switched on in style. The ’12 Days of Christmas Parade’ will feature large illuminated creations, built by city schoolchildren working with professional artists, so expect plenty of swans-a-swimming, lords-a-leaping, and of course a partridge in a pear tree – plus special guest Father Christmas, naturally! For the first time ever the procession will end at our magnificent Cathedral, making its way right down the Main Nave, with spectators being invited in to enjoy the spectacle and sing a selection of favourite carols. A truly unique event for the city of Gloucester.

Enjoy a traditional Christmas in the City of Gloucester.

Christmas in Gloucester   

The City of Gloucester will be hosting a variety of events this year to celebrate Christmas with something to suit everyone. From celebrity dancers and switch on parades to a Dracula pantomime, there will be a wide variety of things to do in the City. Also new for 2010 there will be a brand new attraction for Gloucester “A Very Victorian Christmas”.

Christmas in Gloucester

Christmas Lights Switch On and Santa’s Grotto: Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet

From Thursday 18th November
Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet welcomes Father Christmas to his new Victorian Doll’s House Grotto, open from 11am. Then, at 7pm, the Quays lights up for the festive season, with Britain’s Got Talent runners-up Twist and Pulse dropping in to flick the switch!

Eastgate Shopping Centre Santa Parade and Grotto Opening

From Saturday 20th November
Santa’s taking up residence in his icy, brand new grotto at the Eastgate Shopping Centre, and to celebrate he’s leading a magical festive parade through the centre and out into the city streets at 12noon and 2pm. Grotto open from 1pm.

Sponsored by the Gloucester City Centre Community Partnership
Christmas Lights Switch On Parade: Gloucester City Centre and Cathedral

Sunday 21st November at 4.15pm
Gloucester’s Christmas lights get switched on in style. The ’12 Days of Christmas Parade’ will feature large illuminated creations, built by city schoolchildren working with professional artists, so expect plenty of swans-a-swimming, lords-a-leaping, and of course a partridge in a pear tree – plus special guest Father Christmas, naturally! For the first time ever the procession will end at our magnificent Cathedral, making its way right down the Main Nave, with spectators being invited in to enjoy the spectacle and sing a selection of favourite carols. A truly unique event for the city of Gloucester.

Victorian Christmas Market, Gloucester Docks and Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet

Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th November, Thursday and Friday 10am – 8pm, Saturday 10am – 7pm, Sunday 10am, – 5pm, free entry
The hustle and bustle of a Victorian Christmas will be brought to life as a traditional market comes to Gloucester Docks and Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet for the first time. The event will feature decorated stalls selling hand-made gifts and fine food and drink, characters in Dickensian costume, street entertainers, family activities, real ale tavern, Victorian waterside and Waterways Museum and choirs and brass bands, all against the historic backdrop of the city’s Historic Docks. Visit the website for details of stallholders and entertainment timetable…

New Inn Victorian Fayre

Saturday 27th November, 11am – 6pm
The historic New Inn in Northgate Street hosts a Charity Victorian Fayre. Stall holders, dressed in Dickensian finery, will be selling various trinkets, gifts and sundries, the perfect place to pick up presents for friends and family.

Concert: Blake at Gloucester Cathedral

Saturday 27th November at 7.30pm
Enjoy the spectacular atmosphere of one of the most beautiful venues in the country for an evening of classical and popular music from Classical Brit Award winners Blake, accompanied by Southern Sinfonia. Blake will be performing songs taken from their three best-selling albums including She, Nessun Dorma, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Hallelujah and I Vow To Thee My Country. Tickets from the Cathedral Shop, on 01452 528753 or at www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk

Christmas at Gloucester Folk Museum

December – January, free entry
As the nights draw in and the days get shorter, many cultures and religions hold their brightest and most cheerful festivals. Along with a traditional Christmas, this year Gloucester Folk Museum will also be celebrating Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Eid-ul-Adha, Hogmanay, Diwali and Chinese New Year with the Bright Lights, Dark Nights exhibition. Local communities have been asked to share their winter customs with us and create a season of bright lights and festive cheer. The museum and garden will be decorated with hundreds of lights, and the history of why we follow certain rituals at this time of year will be explained.

A host of events and activities are also planned , including candlelit tours of the museum (2nd, 9th, 16th December), Lassington Oak performing a Mummers play (December 11th), family craft activities (27th November – 31st December) and the wonderful St Nicholas’ Wishing Tree (27th November – 18th December). For full details visit www.gloucester.gov.uk/museums or call 01452 396868.

Dutch Victory Concert Organ in Kings Square

Saturday 11th + Sunday 12th December
Don’t miss the world’s biggest touring traditional organ, all the way from the Netherlands. The giant 9 metre x 3 metre organ plays a huge repertoire of classic Christmas music, film themes and pop songs. Sure to put a smile on shoppers’ faces! On Sunday there will also be a carol concert and a visit from Father Christmas.

Dracula: the Pantomime at Gloucester Guildhall

Monday 13th December – Saturday 18th December at 7pm (Saturday matinee at 2pm)
If you’re tired of all the traditional panto fayre, those fiends at Gloucester Guildhall and Gloucester Operatic and Dramatic Society have got a ‘fang-tastic’ alternative for you to sink your teeth into, with this action-packed, spooky-in-a-fun-way vampire panto! Tickets from 01452 503050 or at www.gloucesterguildhall.co.uk

Christmas at the Guildhall

Celebrate the festive season with music and laughs at the Guildhall in December, with live concerts from the likes of Echo and the Bunnymen, Neville Staple from The Specials, Whole Lotta Led and The Bluetones, plus giggles galore at the Big Laugh New Year’s Eve Comedy Club. Tickets available on 01452 503050 or at www.gloucesterguildhall.co.uk

Celebrate the Season at Gloucester Cathedral

Celebrate the season with a series of services, concerts and recitals at the Cathedral, including an Advent Carol Service by Candlelight on 28th November, Christmas Carol Service on 23rd December, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day services and an Epiphany Carol Service on 9th January.

Gloucester Choral Society present Handel’s Messiah on 4th December, charity concerts take place for Cotswold Care Hospice (8th December), the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign (9th December), Meningitis Trust (16th December) and Age Concern (17th December), BBC Radio Gloucestershire present a Christmas Celebration on 21st December and the much-loved St Cecilia Singers perform on 22nd December. More info on 01452 528095 or at www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk

Festive Markets

Pick up unique gifts or just soak up the festive atmosphere at a range of markets across the city this Christmas. Travel back in time to a Very Victorian Christmas Market in Gloucester Docks (November 25th – 28th), pick up hand-made jewellery, toys and more at a Christmas Craft Market at the Cross in the city centre (Saturday 11th December), and great locally produced food and drink at Festive Farmer’s Markets at the Cross (Fridays throughout December including Christmas Eve, plus Tuesday 21st December).

Buy great gifts and help good causes at Christmas Charity Markets in Kings Square on Fridays 10th and 17th December. Don’t miss Gloucester’s regular markets, the Cherry and White Market in Kings Square each Friday and Saturday (also opening daily from Friday 17th December until Christmas Eve), and the Eastgate Indoor Market, now bigger than ever, open Monday – Saturday, plus Sundays 5th, 12th and 19th December.

Shopping with Extra Smiles!

Father Christmas, face-painting, magical grottos, tree decoration sessions, family activities and live entertainment are all on offer at shopping centres across the city throughout December. Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet, Kings Walk Shopping and the Eastgate Shopping Centre are all offering up yuletide family treats as well as great shops and stores, so check individual websites for up-to-the-minute information.
www.gloucesterquays.co.uk www.kingswalk.co.uk www.eastgategloucester.co.uk

Choirs and Bands at the Christmas Tree

Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays in December
Be entertained by local choirs, bands and dance groups in front of the city’s beautiful Christmas tree, located outside the Guildhall in Eastgate Street. Performances will coincide with late night shopping on Thursdays and on Saturday and Sunday daytimes in the run-up to Christmas. Check the website for details of who’s performing when.

Tailor of Gloucester Beatrix Potter Museum and Shop

Nestled just off Westgate Street in College Court, The House of the Tailor of Gloucester is a wonderfully Christmassy experience for all ages. This charming museum and shop is run by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, and is housed in the original building used by Beatrix Potter in her wonderful story ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’. Entry is free, open seven days a week.

Gloucester Rugby Christmas Fixtures

Muster up a rousing Christmas cheer and roar the Cherry and Whites to victory at their two home festive fixtures, against La Rochelle on 19th December and Northampton Saints on Boxing Day.

Sail With Santa!

December 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th + 24th
Visit the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester Docks and set sail on board Santa’s very own boat for a magical family experience along the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. Call 01452 318200 or visit www.nwm.org.uk for booking details.

Christmas Lunch Cruises on the Edward Elgar

The Edward Elgar luxury cruiser will be running her popular Christmas Lunch cruises daily from 8^th December. Passengers will enjoy a delicious 3-course traditional Christmas lunch in a sumptuous saloon with central heating as the boat glides down the historic Gloucester-Sharpness canal. The Edward Elgar is a luxury Hotel Boat with a 4-Star rating from VisitBritain. The full Christmas Lunch Cruise package costs £34.99pp, with discounts available for Groups. Boarding is at 12.30hrs and disembarkation is at 15.30hrs. Advance booking is essential. Call English Holiday Cruises on 01452-410411 or visit www.englishholidaycruises.co.uk

Turkey & Tinsel on the Oliver Cromwell Paddle Wheeler

The famous Oliver Cromwell Paddle Wheeler will have a variety of seasonal fare available for Groups while she is moored up in the Historic Docks at Gloucester. The Group offers include mince pies & mulled wine for £5.90, a full 3-course Christmas lunch for £14.90 and a really sophisticated ‘Showboat’ dinner & dance night with a live band for £34.90. Groups can combine these offers with a visit to the Gloucester Quays Designer Centre and Victorian Market, both just a 2-minute walk away. Call English Holiday Cruises on 01452-410411 and visit www.oliver-cromwell-paddle-wheeler.co.uk  Advance booking is essential.

Parking and Public Transport

Enjoy leisurely late night shopping on Thursday evenings in December and enjoy a free hour’s additional parking when you pay for two. Offer valid in all city centre multi-storey car parks. Alternatively, park for free after 4pm every day at Station Road, St Michaels Square and Hampden Way car parks, and take advantage of special Sunday rates (£1 for an hour or £2 all day) in all city centre car parks.

Park and Ride services (route 507) operate between St Oswalds and Waterwells, with buses running every 12 minutes. Full timetables can be found at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/gloucesterparkandride or by calling 01452 425000. Stagecoach run services across the city and timetables can be found at www.stagecoachbus.com

Christmas in Gloucester for groups

Very Victorian Christmas

‘A Very Victorian Christmas’, a living, breathing Dickensian event at Gloucester’s Historic Docks and Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet from Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th November. The event will feature a themed festive market selling locally produced food, drink and gifts, Victorian characters, traditional rides and sideshows and bands, choirs and performers. 

Group Travel visitors who pre-book  for this event through Gloucester Quays will benefit from:

• Meet & greet service explaining facilities and attractions
• Free coach parking both on site and close by.
• Each party member will receive a discount booklet containing various discount offers for most stores as well as offers for the National Waterway Museum, Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum and Slimbridge Wetlands Centre.
• Complimentary free meal and drink for the driver at either Pizza Express or Nandos.
• Store Guides are sent out or given on arrival.
• Shopmobility services are available if required – a £2.50 deposit is required to hire either scooters or wheelchairs but it is refundable on returning the equipment. 

Turkey & Tinsell on the Oliver Cromwell Paddle Wheeler

The Oliver Cromwell Paddle Wheeler will have a variety of seasonal fare available for Groups while she is moored up in the Historic Docks at Gloucester. The offers range from mince pies & mulled wine through a full 3-course Christmas lunch to ‘Showboat’ dinner & dance nights with a live band. To add ‘Tinsell’ to the occasion, the Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet Centre is just a 2-minute walk away from the vessel. Call English Holiday Cruises on 01452-410411.

Biggest UK sculpture exhibition ever held outside London

Works by Antony Gormley, Damien Hirst and Sir Eduardo Palozzi are amongst those to be to be featured at Crucible – arguably the largest and most important exhibition of contemporary sculpture in Britain during the last 20 years.

Set to be staged in Gloucester from September 1^st, through to October 30^th, the exhibition will feature many of Britain’s most renowned sculptures and internationally famous artists, including 13 who are members of the Royal Academy of Arts, and one Hibernian Academician, the event as a whole will feature around 75 outstanding works of art.

Sculptures by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, Lynn Chadwick, Antony Gormley and Damien Hirst. Some pieces have been sourced from private collections or specially loaned, and several have been made specifically for the exhibition. Many have never been seen in public before.

It is thought to be the biggest sculpture exhibition in Britain for the last 20 years, as well as the largest ever held outside of London.

Crucible is jointly organised by Gloucester Cathedral and Gallery Pangolin, the exhibition will be on show at the world-famous Cathedral from September 1^st to October 30^th. The exhibition will be completely free of charge, allowing people from all walks of life access to some of the most exceptional contemporary sculpture of the past 50 years.

Gloucester Cathedral will provide a magnificent backdrop for Crucible, which will take place throughout the building and grounds, including the crypt and cloisters. A centre for sculpture itself, the Cathedral has been producing outstanding stonemasonry for the past 900 years and still employs seven talented masons to continue their work.

And one of the Cathedral’s very own masons, Jordi Raga Frances – a gifted sculptor in his own right – is proud to have his work included in this world-class exhibition.

The 75 works of art will constitute a who’s who of contemporary British sculpture, from the “New Bronze Age” sculptors of the 1950s to current household names such as Hirst and Gormely.

A reinforced concrete plinth, meanwhile, has been cast by the main entrance to the Cathedral in preparation for the centre-piece of the exhibition, Sir EduardoPaolozzi’s monumental sculpture of Vulcan.

The combined weight of all of the pieces int eh exhibition comes to 25 tons. The works are coming from all over the British Isles, from Scotland to Cornwall, as well as from Cork in Ireland.

A selection of the works on show at the exhibition an now be viewed at http://www.crucible2010.co.uk/index.php?page=gallery

Gloucester Cathedral is itself a treasure-house of art and artefacts. And Crucible will continue the tradition with world-class sculptures, guaranteed to make an impression on all who attend.

Further details can be found at www.crucible2010.co.uk.

Visitor information, meanwhile, is available at www.thecityofgloucester.co.uk.

Music diversity this summer in Gloucester

A free music festival comes to the park with beer tent, food and drink, stalls, funfair and urban beach. The event also features a second stage, curated by Young Gloucestershire, showcasing the region’s finest young bands and DJs.

Ska and 2 Tone legends The Beat headline a FREE, one day music festival in Gloucester’s main city park. The Birmingham collective head up a great bill of live music in the year that they celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of their debut album, and their heady mix of ska, 2 Tone, soul, punk and reggae is still packing venues and festival fields across the land!

Live music will be heard throughout the streets of Gloucester this summer.  There is an eclectic mix of music festivals from the oldest music festival in europe, the Three Choirs Festival to Barn on a Farm, an intimate folk festival taking place at Over Farm.

The Beat will be performing at Music in the Park

Three Choirs Festival

held each year since the early eighteenth century, and rotating between the three great cathedral cities of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford is one of the world’s oldest classical choral music festivals. This heritage has long established the Festival as a firm fixture in the British music calendar and a must-visit for lovers of the great choral works from across Britain, Europe, America and Australasia. The festival runs from the 7th – 15th August.

Barn on the Farm is a new folk festival taking place at over farm, limited to 200 people, this intimate weekend festival is headlined by Matthew and the Atlas and is the brilliant invention of Matt Hegarty who supported Mumford and Sons on our last UK tour in Reading. All of us and the remainder of the audience were awestruck by his voice, his lyrics, his vibe. Like a UK cross between Bon Iver and Ray Lamontagne.” Ben Lovett, Mumford and Son. The fun runs from 24th – 25th July.

Music in the Park on the 24th July is  free music festival with beer tent, food and drink, stalls, funfair and urban beach. The event also features a second stage, curated by Young Gloucestershire, showcasing the region’s finest young bands and DJs.

Last but not least the sound of blues returns to the city at the Gloucester Blues Festival running from the 24th July – 1st August, the best names in  blues will perform in pubs and venues across the city.

All these events are part of Summer in Gloucester two months of family events, music festivals and much much more.

Ska and 2 Tone legends The Beat headline the free festival in Gloucester’s main city park. The Birmingham collective head up a great bill of live music in the year that they celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of their debut album, and their heady mix of ska, 2 Tone, soul, punk and reggae is still packing venues and festival fields across the land!

Gloucester Cathedral in full bloom

Fresh from clinching the opportunity to host Crucible – one of the largest and most important exhibitions of contemporary sculpture to take place in Britain for 10 years – the Cathedral has also revealed it will be home to Glorious Gloucestershire 2011.

For next year’s high-profile event, the Cathedral will be filled with spectacular floral arrangements celebrating Gloucestershire’s famous people, products and events.

At the heart of Glorious Gloucestershire (13 – 16 July 2011) will be a magnificent floral carpet stretching the length of the Nave as well as well as stalls, talks and music.

Tickets will be on sale from March 2011, but group organisers or coach operators can sign up for priority booking prior to the release of tickets by contacting 01452 528095 or emailing reception@gloucestercathedral.org.uk

One of the finest Cathedrals in England, and rated as one of the most beautiful in the world, the 900-year-old Norman Cathedral is the centre point of the City and will take centre stage for both of these major events.

From 1 September 2010 to 30 October 2010, Gloucester Cathedral will provide a magnificent setting for Crucible, which will take place throughout the building and grounds, including the crypt and cloisters. (www.crucible2010.co.uk)

Over 70 works of art will be featured by many of Britain’s most renowned sculptors and internationally famous artists, including pieces by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, Lynn Chadwick, Antony Gormley and Damien Hirst. Some have been sourced from private collections or specially loaned and several have been made especially for the exhibition – with many never seen in public before.

A centre for sculpture itself, the Cathedral has been producing outstanding stonemasonry for the past 900 years and still employs 7 talented masons to continue this work. One of the Cathedral masons, Jordi Raga Frances, also a gifted sculptor, is extremely proud to have his work included in this world-class exhibition.

For more details about the Cathedral events, see www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk

For full details of all events as well as places to visit and short break ideas, visit www.thecityofgloucester.co.uk

City of Gloucester’s sizzling summer season

Colourscape part of Summer in Gloucester

Summer in the city will be even brighter in Gloucester this year thanks to a new campaign drawing together a feast of fun throughout the sunshine season.

Gloucester already has a well-earned reputation as one of the best centres in Britain for mainstream, as well as unusual, events and festivals.

And for 2010, Gloucester aims to make the most of summer with a host of events, from a beach in the park to spectacular firework displays, and from classic motorbikes to the prestigious Three Choirs Festival.

Throw in the return of cricket to the city after a break last year, the popular International Rhythm & Blues Festival and even volleyball, and it’s clear that Gloucester has something for all tastes.

But summer in the city really starts to sizzle with Carnival in the Park (Sat 17 July) – a huge party and procession in and around Gloucester Park with live music, food and drink, fairground rides and attractions and stalls.

From 23 July – 30 July Beach in the Park will see around 70 tons of sand transform a corner of the park into a typical seaside setting, with donkey rides, sandcastle competitions, Punch and Judy shows and storytellers, while Fireworks in the Park lights up the sky on Sat 31 July.

Music of all kinds has long set Gloucester apart as a cosmopolitan city and its renowned International Rhythm and Blues Festival, now in its tenth year, will once again wow audiences (24th July to Sunday 1st August).

And the Three Choirs Festival, an international classical music festival rotates each August between the cathedral cities of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester, returns to the awe-inspiring setting of Gloucester Cathedral for 2010 (Sat 7 August – Sun 15 Aug).

Rounding off the summer, why not rev up for the Motorcycle Festival at Hempsted Meadows, or get all sporty at the Gloucester VolleyBall Festival, (both Sat 14 Aug – Sun 15 Aug)?

For full details of all events as well as places to visit and short break ideas  from Gloucester are available here.